taken
- 01 A1 Beginner
v.the form of 'take' used after 'have' or 'be'.
v.the past participle of the irregular verb 'take'. Used in the formation of perfect tenses and passive voice constructions.
Simple“I have taken this medicine every morning for a week.”
In context“The decision was taken after several hours of intense deliberation by the board of directors.”
UsageAs a past participle, it requires an auxiliary verb like 'have' or 'be'.
PitfallI have took the bus many times. I have taken the bus many times.Use 'taken' with the auxiliary verb 'have' for the present perfect; 'took' is only for the simple past.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
adj.already in a romantic relationship and not available to date others.
adj.unavailable for romantic pursuit due to being in a committed relationship.
Simple“I'm sorry, but I'm already taken and I'm very happy with my partner.”
In context“He didn't realize she was already taken until he saw her wedding ring during the dinner party.”
Teacher's tipThis is a very common way to politely decline a romantic advance in social settings.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.to be very impressed by or attracted to someone or something.
adj.captivated, infatuated, or highly impressed by a person, idea, or object. Often follows the verb 'be' and takes the preposition 'with'.
Simple“He was quite taken with the small village and decided to stay for another week.”
In context“The critics were clearly taken with the young pianist's debut performance, praising her technical precision and emotional depth.”
UsageUsually follows the pattern 'be taken with' or 'be taken by'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage taken to hospital · taken place · taken away
From Middle English taken, takenn, from Old English tacen, ġetacen, from Old Norse tekinn, from Proto-Germanic tēkanaz, past participle of Proto-Germanic *tēkaną (“to take; grasp; touch”). Cognate with Scots takin, tane, Danish tagen, Swedish tagen, Icelandic tekin. Morphologically take + -n.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.